White Paper: The Credit Card Industry

The credit card industry has experienced substantial change and consolidation. The leading firms have introduced technologies, process innovations and business improvements, which have affected mail volumes and often create new growth opportunities.

What is driving mail volume growth in the credit card industry? What change drivers have the strongest statistical relationship with mail volumes? How useful is a systematic assessment of correlations for understanding changes in the marketplace or anticipating future developments?

Credit card firms are the principal sender of bills and solicitations mail to households and businesses. Continued increases in population, household, income and age, and businesses have had a positive effect on these mail streams. As households become wealthier, they tend to spend more on credit services and acquire additional account relationships with financial institutions. These new relationships result in even more bills, statements and relationship mail.